


Our Twenty-Six Lettered Alphabet

by Neophyted



Category: Boyfriend (Band)
Genre: Angst, Boyfriend (band) - Freeform, Fluff, Gen, genfic, yeah honestly im full of angst LOL, you should not be surprised
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2018-12-31 02:50:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12122913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neophyted/pseuds/Neophyted
Summary: Seven years as a group don't come with happy days and sunshine tied to it all the time. There is good times and then there are bad times. Unforgettable memories and downright regrets. Although, the realization of those days in the future sometimes never come to mind, especially during those youthful days. When they do though, it's hard to stand face to face with it. The harsh reality or the endless dream that no one ever wants to escape can flood anyone's mind.People say, "It's a dog-eat-dog world out there."But for six boys, all they want to do is keep charging forward. Together with each other and with the rest of the world.





	1. prologue: 05.26.2011

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> hs(2-8-14-20-25-26) **.exe**

> jm(3-9-15-21-25-26) **.exe**

> ym(4-10-16-22-25-26) **.exe**

> km(5-11-17-23-25-26) **.exe**

> mw(6-12-18-24-25-26) **.exe**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this is a revived version of my genfic for boyfriend and basically i wanted to dwell in a little deeper with how i see boyfriend sometimes, so if you don't agree with some of these, it's perfectly fine! it's just how i see boyfriend and how they have those family attributes with one another c:


	2. chapter 1: a - age (donghyun)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghyun realizes that time runs by too fast and now he's starting to doubt who he really is.  
> \- Set during the beginning of Boyfriend's Star Promotions at M!Countdown.

He pulls on a fake smile when the interviewer reminds him that this will be the last time where he’s performing in his twenties. He lets out a laugh, trying not show the bitterness fighting the typical saccharine-filled laughter. The leader of the group only speaks light-hearted and positive comments, keeping in mind that “every minute and second with fans is important.” It's been two and a half years, that's all that matters. Right? Yet, his facade can not last forever. For as of every tick and tok, there underlies the denying truth of that he’s always growing older. He nears thirty at every moment and there are always subtle reminders of that he’s seemingly growing too old for some people and the industry. It bothers him and he's known from the start ever since he debuted with three boys that have a six year age gap with him.

The fans don’t think that. But they’re fans, of course. They love everything about their idols and it breaks his heart when he can't return the same love to them when things are blocking his way. They ignore when his dance moves aren’t as sharp as the youngest member. Minwoo is in fact the strongest dancer, so all eyes would be on him. He can’t ignore it though when he’s almost about to pass out after dance practices. He can’t set himself in denial.

He hears a creak of the door and the clacking of shoes touching the wooden floor. The leader doesn't want to look up, but he has to. “Donghyun-hyung?” speaks a voice. It’s deep, but it withholds the typical slightly high-pitched voice that has a tendency to hurt his ears too.

Donghyun raises his head to look at where the voice comes from, a smile already stretching across his face. He had his head in his palms and slouched over ever since they arrived back in their room after their first stage performance in a long time. Everything has seemed unfamiliar to him now. The strong smell of hairspray and constant chatter between make-up artists seems different than before. That could just be him from what he knows. Other members assure each other that it might be because of the two year hiatus. The oldest tries to confirm that it's the latter.

“Kwangmin.” Donghyun presses his back against the soft, white pillow on the couch, glancing over to the younger boy with a smile on his face. What's on his face is like a mask, but he does it for the sake of not making things worse. "What’s wrong?” he questions, seeing the noticeable frown on Kwangmin's face. The happy, sixteen year old boy he knew six years ago has grown and matured to this twenty-three year old male in front of him. It’s surprising, but sometimes it doesn’t. That's how time works, of course.

The red-haired male’s lips tightened into a thin line. He sits down next to the leader, not even responding to the grin Donghyun showed him. He knows it's fake. He laces his fingers together and stares at the floor for a moment before looking directly at Donghyun. “Hyung. The thing that’s troubling isn’t with me. It’s with you...” he trails off for a second, hesitant to even say the next few words as if it were going to cut his tongue off. Donghyun opens his mouth to make a joke because Kwangmin can be downright cheesy, but Kwangmin doesn't let him speak. Jo Kwangmin is serious.

“You’ve been acting different. It’s not because we’ve just come back to Korea after two years. It makes it seem like you’re hiding things from us.” Kwangmin says, furrowing his eyebrows before letting out a loud sigh. “And I’m worried about you. The rest of the members are too. You’re always looking over Youngmin, Minwoo and I, treating us like we’re your sons, but you almost never think about yourself.” Donghyun's mouth opens slightly when Kwangmin finishes, but nothing comes out. He's speechless.

Kwangmin frowns and then stares up at the ceiling, his arms sprawled out next to him as he lays against the soft cushioning. “I saw how quiet you were during the radio broadcast. There's something going on, I know it. Hyung, I really want to help you. We all do,” he spoke, his voice getting quieter and quieter as he continued.

Donghyun was stunned, surprised that the younger saw right through him like a piece of glass. Kwangmin typically was the childish member out of the six of them and usually was a big airhead. Albeit, he’s been in some serious conversations with the younger sometimes, yet that just focused more on Kwangmin and the younger's insecurities. The roles were never reversed until this day. Donghyun runs a hand through his hair, he still can't think of anything to say. His eyes dart over his phone that’s placed on the makeup table nearby and if he could just reach over and grab it, he’d probably be able to change the conversation. It's a topic he never has talked about seriously to the members. Donghyun usually tends to laugh it off like during an interview or talking with one of the members. He knows they don't mean it with malicious intent.

Yet, he finally speaks. With someone he never expected to talk with first. Kwangmin is always genuine when it comes to expressing his love with Boyfriend and the fans, so the concern that was noticeably laced into the doe-like features of his can't be fake. At that very moment, Donghyun feels terrible that he’s worried Kwangmin or even the rest of the members. They're just as good as hiding as he tried to be. With how the younger acts, he knows that the twenty-three year old won’t settle for a "maybe later.”

Donghyun breathes, his throat feels clogged. It's a weird feeling and it doesn't feel right either. He usually keeps it to him and no one else, but the words finally stumble out of his throat.

“Kwangmin. Do… do you think I’m getting old?” he asks, his hands were now laced tighter than before, his fingernails pressing into his flesh, leaving small crescent-shaped indentations. He expects the worst response from the younger, despite it wouldn’t be Kwangmin’s character at all to do so.

He’d thought that Kwangmin would’ve laughed and then he’d brush it off like it would be nothing. Like how some people react when they joke about how close he is to thirty. _'Halfway to sixty, it is.'_ Sometimes, Donghyun would think he was overreacting.

Thing is, Kwangmin didn’t. He should've known that.

“I…" Kwangmin trails off and he looks towards him before saying, "Hyung. You’re not old. No matter what others say. You’re **not** old.” The corner of Kwangmin’s lips pull into a frown. He heard the conversation earlier about Donghyun’s age and he knows how much him and the members talk about Donghyun's age. “Age is just a number, hyung. You don’t even look twenty-nine. You haven’t even aged a bit ever since debut either.” Kwangmin adds on, knowing that this is a sensitive topic and he wants to tread as lightly as he can. But Kwangmin knows he's made jokes before and it hurts knowing about this now. “Hyung, your age just means that you know more. You have more experience than us and that’s why you’re the leader. Remember when Youngmin cried at our first win? You were there right at his side, comforting him.”

That's when that confident sparkle shone in Kwangmin's eyes and then Kwangmin got on his feet, a rather determined countenance shining across his face, showing the childish traits of his bright personality. “Donghyun-hyung, listen to me, your age doesn’t define who you are as a person. What matters is inside.” Kwangmin is a little embarrassed, he shows these cheesy moments for a while, but he means every word of it.

Donghyun’s eyes are wide when Kwangmin finishes. While the younger was rambling, he was just frozen in time. Like everything just stopped. It's now that he realizes that it doens't matter. He's known that Kwangmin’s an interesting guy for past six years. But, there’s that one trait that makes Kwangmin, Kwangmin. The younger boy always cares no matter what. It's not how many years that he's lived through that counts. It's all the memories he's gone through and can make now.

The astonishment earlier on his face ended up being washed away and was replaced with a warm smile. Donghyun lets out a laugh, a real one this time, expressing his happiness. “And this is why you’re the crybaby of the group. You're so emotional,” he remarked, nudging Kwangmin's side with his hand. He grinned even bigger when the other fell back onto the couch with a whine. “You should look at your face. You really do look like Youngmin when he's angry.”

Kwangmin’s stoic expression drooped quickly into a pout, “Hey hyung! I was trying to help you!” he exclaimed, embarrassed about the rant he had just finished seconds ago was brushed off so easily by the leader. “Why do you have to tease me,” he said, crossing his arms. "It did help though, right?"

The older male laughed and then smiled, “There are plenty of things to tease you about, Kwangminnie. This is only one of them,” he states, getting up onto his feet and then playfully ruffling the younger’s locks. 

“Yah! My hair, hyung! You didn't answer my question!”

Donghyun’s glad that he’s met this dork. Despite how weird and embarrassing this guy could be, he doubts that there could be anyone that could replace him. There are things better than age. Sure, time can pass and there’s nothing he can do to stop it, but what’s best is that he can share this time with five other weird people just like him and all his fans. "Hey, now hurry up, we got to go meet with the other members." Donghyun walks away from the younger, but lets out a small laugh when the other whines, wanting to get the confirmation that his rant worked. Time goes by, but good memories stay forever.

_‘But really thank you, Kwangmin-ah.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> during like star's promotion era, donghyun talked a lot about his age and like, there's people saying that 30 is too old ;; but like donghyun has been aging backwards so what the heck HAHA  
> i also wrote this in like september or something and i really wanted to fix it hehe


End file.
